Museum of Appalachia

Heiskell, Tennessee

Weather: low 65 degrees, high 86 degrees, partly cloudy skies

These are peacocks at the Museum of Appalachia.

Today we went up the road a few miles to visit the Museum of Appalachia. This is an attraction that was built to show how people lived in the mountains when all the modern conveniences of today were not available. The museum consists of many exhibits spread out over 65 acres of fields, old cabins, corn cribs, smoke houses, school houses, churches, and other buildings.

In case you haven't figured it out, Carolyn likes for me to take pictures of the different animals we find.

The Museum of Appalachia was the result of a suggestion from the founder's grandfather that he build a museum to show off the old-timey things that had been used to survive by the mountain people over hundreds of years. All of the log cabins and other buildings are authentic, with most of them being moved to the museum from their original sites.

For example, Mark Twain's family lived in Fentress County before Mark was born, and their cabin was moved to the museum from there. Obviously, some maintenance and repairs had to be done to some of the buildings, but most of them look as though they could still be lived in. Of course, living in these old cabins would be much tougher than what we live in today.

When the museum was developed, it was intended to make the cabins look as though the families had just gone down to the spring to get the day's water supply. In other words, as though they were being lived in. I think the museum succeeded. Most of the houses are fully furnished with authentic furniture and other furnishings. One thing that stood out to us was the small sizes of the houses. It's amazing how circumstances dictate the way we live.

We didn't know what to expect when we went to the museum, but can recommend this
worthwhile museum to all. Of all the museums we have visited, the only one that we liked better was the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming. That's saying something.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Knoxville, Tennessee: Knox Vegas

Not all who wander are lost.